The Iranian government recently passed a major law that affects the digital rights of its citizens. The law, known as the Seventh Development Plan, includes a controversial component called the ‘Lifestyle Assessment System’, which allows the government to spy on people’s personal information. This report analyzes the Seventh Development Plan law, its specific clauses,Continue reading “How the Iranian Parliament Plans to Spy on Citizens with the ‘Lifestyle Assessment System’”
Author Archives: لویی شکیبی
Facial Authentication and Recognition: From Reality to Political Propaganda
Executive Summary The discussion on the use of facial recognition technology became prominent when Mohammad Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani, the former secretary of the Command of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong, stated in a September 2022 interview with the news site Khabar Fori: ‘Technology now allows images to be matched with national ID photos, and thoseContinue reading “Facial Authentication and Recognition: From Reality to Political Propaganda”
Widespread Disruption Named Infrastructure Development
Internet users in Iran experienced widespread disruptions in September-October 2023, ranging from complete outages to severe disturbances. These disruptions coincided with the second internet blackout schedule announced by the Minister of Communications, Isa Zarepour, and his organization, the Infrastructure Communications Company. According to them, the internet in vast areas of Iran would be disrupted fromContinue reading “Widespread Disruption Named Infrastructure Development”
The Iranian government’s use of technology to control and surveil its citizens
Iran’s seventh development plan bill outlines various infrastructure projects for different sectors of the country, to be carried out over five years (from 2023 through 2027). This plan has not yet been approved by the parliament, and its discussion was planned for September 25, but no update has been reported since then. A significant portionContinue reading “The Iranian government’s use of technology to control and surveil its citizens”
Introduction of Layered Internet Infrastructure to Public
In August 2023, the Iranian government introduced a new phase of internet restrictions. After a prolonged struggle, two pivotal components of these restrictions, the Regulatory Framework for Online Services (previously known as the “User Protection” bill) and the Layered Internet System, were publicly enforced for the first time that month. The government has also expressedContinue reading “Introduction of Layered Internet Infrastructure to Public”
Scheduled Internet Disruptions following the Anniversary of Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s Death
September 16 marked the first anniversary of Mahsa (Jina) Amini and as well as the anniversary of Bloody Friday in the city of Zahedan. Sistan and Baluchestan province has faced weekly internet shutdowns every Friday for a year now. Since November 2019, Iran has implemented internet shutdowns nearly ten times, each in response to eitherContinue reading “Scheduled Internet Disruptions following the Anniversary of Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s Death”
The Islamic Republic’s Vision for Domestic Platforms and Enhanced Regulation of Cyberspace
A key and rising goal for the Islamic Republic in recent years is to establish domestic platforms that are controlled and censored, where users are verified and monitored and have limited access to specific internet content. In this context, further progress and developments took place from July 1 to August 2, 2023. Mohammad Amin Aghamiri,Continue reading “The Islamic Republic’s Vision for Domestic Platforms and Enhanced Regulation of Cyberspace”
Guardians of Connectivity: The Tech Community in Iran Battles to Preserve Open Internet Access
According to the Internet Outage Detection and Analysis (IODA) project, which monitors internet disruptions around the world, over 20 provinces of Iran experienced various types of internet outages in August 2023. This month was also crucial for the Iranian tech sector, as it has engaged in negotiations with the ministry of telecommunication regarding network quality.Continue reading “Guardians of Connectivity: The Tech Community in Iran Battles to Preserve Open Internet Access “
Despite Denial by Iranian Authorities, Weekly Internet Shutdowns Continue In Zahedan
While we are approaching the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, Sistan and Baluchistan still faces weekly internet outages while Iranian government officials continue to avoid taking any responsibility for these disruptions. Overall during the month of July, internet disruptions affected several border cities and provinces including West Azerbaijan in the northwest of Iran to KhuzestanContinue reading “Despite Denial by Iranian Authorities, Weekly Internet Shutdowns Continue In Zahedan”
Irreparable Damage to the Digital Economy caused by Government Deployed Internet Shutdowns and Online Censorship
Internet shutdowns, regardless of their severity, have always led to economic damage in Iran. In addition to internet shutdowns, it looks like we are living in a new norm of online censorship and blocking access to the internet. Since the tragic death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in the custody of Iran’s so-called Morality Police inContinue reading “Irreparable Damage to the Digital Economy caused by Government Deployed Internet Shutdowns and Online Censorship”